Combined mechanical and electronic key, in particular for locks in a vehicle

In a combination mechanical and electronic key, especially for locks in motor vehicles,

• with a common key container (10) to be manipulated when actuating the lock, containing a flat key (30) for the mechanical actuation of the lock;
• where the flat key (30) is held with freedom of motion (29) in the container and can be moved from a home position (30.2), recessed in the container (10), to a working position (30.1), projecting from the container (10);
• and
• with an axially spring-loaded (41) push button (40), which is mounted in the container (10) and which latches the key (30) in at least one of these positions (30.1, 30.2);
• where the key container (10) consists of an upper shell and a lower shell (11, 12), which are attached to each other at least in certain areas,
• wherein the improvement comprises that
• the upper shell (11) has an open area (17) in the part situated outside the push button (40);
• the open area creates a free space (17) in the interior of the shell (18), which is accessible from the outside;
• the electronic components for the electronic actuation of the lock, their wiring, and their electrical controls are enclosed by a housing-like capsule (22) and with this forms a prefabricated electrocapsule (20);
• the electrocapsule (20) forms a plug-in unit, which can be inserted (55) at a later time into the free space (17) of the final assembled key container (10) and held in place there;
• the electrocapsule (20) has a tab (56) extending from the front end;
• wherein
• when the capsule (20) is in the inserted position, the tab (56) covers at least certain areas of the latching piece (51) of the upper shell (11) located in front of the upper opening (52) of the key container;
• and
• the tab (56) has an opening (57), into which the spring-loaded (41) push button (40) enters in the axial direction to secure the inserted position of the electrocapsule (20) in the key container (10).